Cigarette package



Jan. 5, 1965 J. J. CUNNINGHAM 3,164,243

CIGARETTE PACKAGE Filed Oct. 16, 1963 FIG. 1

INVENTOR James J. Cunningham ZZM, M, 0 Z/w AT RNEYS United States Patent 3,164,248 CIGARETTE PACKAGE James J. Cunningham, Manhasset, N.Y., assignor to The American Tobacco Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Oct. 16, 1963, Ser. No. 316,690 Claims. ((Il. 2tl641) This invention relates to cigarette packages and, more particularly, to an end closure for the outer soft paper wrapper of such a package.

In the present soft package of cigarettes, an inner wrapper, generally of paper-lined aluminum foil, is completely wrapped and folded about a group of cigarettes, an outer wrapper encloses the sides and bottom of the package, a stamp-like strip is applied over the thus exposed top of the inner wrapper and is secured to the top outer surface of the outer wrapper, and a transparent moisture-proof foil encloses the entire package. Only a relatively narrow stamp-like strip covers the central portion of the top of the inner wrapper so that, after the moisture-proof foil has been removed, the package can be readily opened by tearing or unfolding the flaps and central tuck of the top portion of the inner wrapper. The purpose of the stamp-like strip is to hold the top of the inner wrapper in place, except for the torn or unfolded end flaps, so that the cigarettes will remain protected within the opened package. Although there have been numerous proposals to provide extensions of the side walls of the outer wrapper which will fold over a portion of the top end of the inner wrapper, these proposals have been extravagant of outer wrapper paper because the extensions have generally been provided by a portion of the outer wrapper blank which extends beyond the borders of the body portion of the blank.

I have now devised an end closure for the outer wrapper of a cigarette package which neither requires a larger blank for forming this wrapper nor obscures any portion of the outer wrapper. The end closure of my invention comprises a band, advantageously matching the paper of the outer wrapper, which is placed over the top end of the inner wrapper with the ends of the band positioned between the inner wrapper and the terminal or upper edge of the outer wrapper on each of two opposite sides of the package. The band is adhesively secured either to the inner wrapper or to the inside of the aforementioned terminal portion of the outer wrapper.

These and other novel features of the end closure of my invention will be more readily understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of the package; and

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cigarette package has a conventional inner wrapper 3, such for example as paperlined aluminum foil, plastic sheet material, plastic coated paper, or the like, which encloses four sides of a group of cigarettes and which is folded over at both ends with the usual tuck 4 and flaps 5. The package also has an outer wrapper 6 of conventional rectangular shape wrapped about the inner wrapper with one edge 7 of the outer wrapper substantially aligned with the top end of the inner wrapper. The lower portion 8 of the outer wrapper is tucked and folded like the inner wrapper so as to enclose the bottom end of the inner wrapper.

Pursuant to my invention, the package is provided with an outer wrapper top end closure which consists essentially of a rectangularly-shaped band 9 of paper. The length of the band is sulficient to span the top of the package from one wide side to the other, plus sufiicient ice further length to extend downwardly a short distance beyond the top of the package. The width of the band may be only a small fraction of the length of the top of the package, but it is advantageously a major fraction of this package dimension and is positioned off-center so as to cover substantially all of the top of the inner wrapper 3 except for a minor portion thereof adjacent the tuck and flap assembly which is used as the opening for the package. The band is also advantageously of the same weight and color paper as the outer wrapper paper so that it harmonizes With the design of the outer wrapper.

The band comprising the outer wrapper top end closure may be secured in place either by adherence to the inner wrapper or to the outer wrapper. Thus, for ease of as sembly, the band may be adhesively secured to the top end of the inner wrapper 3 before the outer wrapper 6 is applied. Alternatively, the two ends 10 of the band may be adhesively secured to the inner surface of the outer wrapper, for example by securing one end of the band to the inner surface of the outer wrapper blank which will ultimately form one Wide side of the package and by then folding the band over the top of the inner wrapper and joining it to the inner surface of the opposite side of the outer wrapper during application of this wrapper. It is also advantageous to secure the band first to the top and upper sides of the inner wrapper 3, then apply the outer wrapper with a gluing operation which causes the ends 10 of the band to adhere to the inner surfaces of the top edge portion 7 of the outer wrapper.

It will be readily appreciated that the outer wrapper end closure of the invention does not require a larger outer wrapper blank than those presently used and that it can nevertheless be made of paper which matches the remainder of the outer wrapper. A further advantage is that the ends of the end closure are positioned between the outside of the inner wrapper and the inside of the outer wrapper where they will not interfere, say, with such a wrapper design as an encircling printed border band of contrasting color. The prior art stamp-like strips secured to the outer surface of the outer wrapper were not compatible with a design embodying such a printed band because the ends of the strip covered the printed band and it has been found impractical to attempt to apply the stamp with such precision that the band printed on the stamp is aligned with the band of the outer wrapper. The end wrapper closure of the invention is also compatible with the conventional application of a moisture-proof covering of transparent foil with the usual tear strip for removing this covering when desired.

1 claim:

1. In a cigarette package comprising an inner wrapper and an outer wrapper, the inner wrapper being wrapped about a group of cigarettes and being folded over at both ends of the cigarettes to form a complete enclosure therefor, the outer wrapper of paper being wrapped about the inner wrapper with one end portion folded over one end portion of the inner wrapper but terminating adjacent the other end portion of the inner wrapper, the improvement which comprises an outer wrapper end closure band matching the paper of the outer wrapper and being placed over said other end of the inner wrapper with the ends of the band positioned between the inner wrapper and the terminal portion of the outer Wrapper on each of two opposite sides of the package.

2. In a cigarette package comprising an inner wrapper and an outer wrapper, the inner wrapper being wrapped about a group of cigarettes and being folded over at both ends of the cigarettes to form a complete enclosure therefor, the outer wrapper of paper being wrapped about the inner wrapper with one end portion folded over one end portion of the inner wrapper but terminating adjacent the other end portion of the inner wrapper, the improvement which comprises an outer wrapper end closure band matching the paper of the outer wrapper and being placed over said other end of the inner wrapper with the ends of the band positioned between the inner wrapper and the terminal portion of the outer wrapper on each of two opposite sides of the package, the width of the end closure band being a major fraction of the length of the top of the package.

3. In a cigarette package comprising an inner wrapper and an outer wrapper, the inner wrapper being wrapped about a group of cigarettes and being folded over at both ends of the cigarettes to form a complete enclosure therefor having tuck and flap assemblies at end edge portions of the enclosure, the outer wrapper of paper being Wrapped about the inner wrapper with one end portion folded over one end portion of the inner wrapper but terminating adjacent the other end portion of the inner wrapper, the improvement which comprises an outer wrapper end closure band matching the paper of the outer wrapper and being placed over said other end of the inner wrapper withthe ends of the band positioned between the inner wrapper and the terminal portion of the outer wrapper on each of two opposite sides of the package, the end closure band covering substantially all of the top of the inner wrapper except for a minor portion thereof adjacent a tuck and flap assembly.

4. In a cigarette package comprising an inner wrapper and an outer Wrapper, the inner wrapper being wrapped about a group of cigarettes and being folded over at both ends of the cigarettes to form a complete enclosure therefor, the outer wrapper of paper being wrapped about the inner wrapper with one end portion folded over one end portion of the inner wrapper but terminating adjacent the other end portion of the inner wrapper, the improvement which comprises an outer wrapper end closure band matching the paper of the outer wrapper and being placed over and in adhesive contact with said other end of the inner wrapper with the ends of the band positioned between the inner wrapper and the terminal portion of the outer wrapper on each of two opposite sides of the package.

5. in a cigarette package comprising an inner wrapper and an outer wrapper, the inner wrapper being wrapped about a group of cigarettes and being folded over at both ends of the cigarettes to form a complete enclosure therefor, the outer wrapper of paper being wrapped about the inner wrapper with one end portion folded over one end portion of the inner wrapper but terminating adjacent the other end portion of the inner wrapper, the improvement which comprises an outer wrapper end closure band matching the paper of the outer wrapper and being placed over said other end of the inner wrapper with the ends of the band positioned between the inner wrapper and the terminal portion of the outer wrapper on each of two opposite sides of the package, the ends of the band being adhesively secured to the inner surface of the outer wrapper.

Rer'erences Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,742,657 Littell 206 41 1,761,408 6/30 Parsons 2064l 1,943,810 1/34 Blum 229-5l 2,047,625 7/36 Geerlings 206-41 2,143,866 1/39 Cromelin 206 41.2 2,3 30,150 9/43 Schweiker 229-51 2,811,247 10/57 Stevenson 2295l 2.822 ,120 2/58 Tamarin 229-51 2,940,590 6/ Hook 206--41.2

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE O. RALSTON, Examiner. 

5. IN A CIGARETTE PACKAGE COMPRISING AN INNER WRAPPER AND AN OUTER WRAPPER, THE INNER WRAPPER BEING WRAPPED ABOUT A GROUP OF CIGARETTES AND BEING FOLDED OVER AT BOTH ENDS OF THE CIGARETTES TO FORM A COMPLETE ENCLOSURE THEREFOR, THE OUTER WRAPPER OF PAPER BEING WRAPPED ABOUT THE INNER WRAPPER WITH ONE END PORTION FOLDED OVER ONE END PORTION OF THE INNER WRAPPER BUT TERMINATING ADJACENT THE OTHER END PORTION OF THE INNER WRAPPER, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES AN OUTER WRAPPER AND BEING PLACED MATCHING THE PAPER OF THE OUTER WRAPPER END CLOSURE BAND OVER SAID OTHER END OF THE INNER WRAPPER WITH THE ENDS OF THE BAND POSITIONED BETWEEN THE INNER WRAPPER AND THE TERMINAL PORTION OF THE OUTER WRAPPER ON EACH OF TWO OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE PACKAGE, THE ENDS OF THE BAND BEING ADHESIVELY SECURED TO THE INNER SURFACE OF THE OUTER WRAPPER. 